The works

Barcelona's Boulevard

The works will be carried out along the entire stretch of La Rambla, from Carrer del Portal de Santa Madrona to Plaça de Catalunya. This will reduce the time it takes to carry out the work compared to the time needed if the work were carried out in sections.

It is important to note that throughout the work execution period, La Rambla will be operating a one-way traffic system from the Columbus monument to Plaça de Catalunya, that is, towards the mountain.

No traffic will be heading towards the sea, from Plaça de Catalunya to the Columbus monument. This traffic will be diverted along Via Laietana.

The work will be divided into three execution phases:

1st PHASE. Work will be carried out on the road and pavement on the Besòs side (which leads to the Gothic Quarter). During this phase, which will last approximately 10 months, vehicles will only travel in the direction of Plaça de Catalunya, on the side of the road that leads to the Raval neighbourhood.

2nd PHASE. Work will be carried out on the road and pavement in the Llobregat side (which leads to the Raval neighbourhood). This phase will also take 10 months. Traffic will travel in one direction towards Plaça de Catalunya which will have been completed in the previous phase (the Gothic Quarter section).

3rd PHASE. Work will be carried out on the central part of La Rambla for approximately 12 months. By the time this work is carried out, the sections on either side will have been completed.

Two companies have been awarded contracts to carry out the work, one of which will be undertaking the work in the stretch from Carrer del Portal de Santa Madrona to, approximately, the Liceu Theatre, and the other from this point up to Plaça de Catalunya.

Generally speaking, the work will be carried out in fenced-off areas of approximately 50 metres in length that will remain closed, and more than one stretch may be worked on at a time. The important aspects that need to be guaranteed are urban goods distribution (loading and unloading) and the routes for emergency vehicles to enable them to reach all points of La Rambla when necessary.

There will clearly be certain places on La Rambla where services with specific characteristics will be concentrated (such as the entrances to car parks, etc.), which will need to be studied in detail and on an individual basis. In these cases, the execution of the works will need to ensure the affected services can continue with minimal disruption.

This is a significant works project on one of the city's most iconic streets, which will inevitably cause some disruption to residents, businesses, pedestrians and the general public. The Barcelona City Council will work continuously to minimise and reduce disruption as much as possible.

As the work progresses, spaces will be opened up, even if some specific work is still pending and which will have to be carried out during the final stages of the work.

  • Access to homes and shops on La Rambla will be fully guaranteed at all times.
  • Entrances may be subject to occasional closures, and any such closures will be duly announced.
  • Loading and unloading will be restricted to designated spaces.
  • Vehicle traffic on La Rambla will generally be restricted to a single direction (heading up La Rambla). All routes required to get to specific locations will be provided.
  • There will be disruption to bus services currently running on La Rambla, and appropriate information on alternative routes and transport options will be provided in due course.
  • The works will not affect the Liceu metro stop and will remain operational.

There will also be an impact on public transport and the waste collection service, both for residents and commercial businesses.

  • Services affected for residents and business without commercial collection: bags of organic waste and general rubbish must be left on the nearest street outside the work area between 8 pm and 10 pm, also furniture and old junk on the scheduled day. Paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic containers will be located at carrer de la Canuda 25,
    carrer de la Unió 12, and Plaça Joaquim Xirau i Palau.
  • Services affected for business with commercial collection: collection with bins or tied paper and cardboard on the pavement should be left in the central part on the Llobregat side (Raval).

Work execution phases

Other information of interest

Basic information

Length: 1,200 m

Surface area: 77,530 m²

Width between facades: between 32.70 and 58.40 m

Width of the pavement: between 1.80 and 14.30 m

Width of the roadway: between 3.60 and 8 m

Longitudinal slope: from 0.12 to 2.93%

Transversal slope: from 0.14 to 4.45% (on the central boulevard)

375 trees currently. Most of them are listed plane trees.

Business occupancy, currently there are:

  • 12 news kiosks (10 on the central boulevard)
  • 16 flower kiosks
  • 9 ONCE kiosks
  • 1 Wax Museum kiosk
  • Terraces, painters, human statues, craft stalls…
  • Social dimension (residents, security, incidents, tourism, etc.)
  • Archaeological risk

Prior timeline

2012 

Presentation of the Heart Plan ("Pla Cor")

2014 

Special Development Plan and Commercial Premises Plan

2017 

International tender for the Rambla Transformation Project won by the KmZero team.

2018 

Presentation of the Action Strategies Document by KmZero

2019  

Municipal proposal for the implementation of various strategies in relation to culture, urban planning, redevelopment, tourism management, etc.

2020 

Re-evaluation of strategies in view of COVID.

2021  

Effective implementation of the cultural strategy (Àgores Rambles), approval of the final redevelopment project, maintenance and improvement plan, housing initiatives, etc.

2022  

Start of project section 1 Colom – Santa Madrona (completion July 2024)

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